Cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder are neurodevelopmental rather than neurodegenerative in nature, a recent study has reported. Furthermore, cognitive impairment in bipolar patients appears to be stable, in the majority at least.

The anti-inflammatory agent canakinumab is found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events in high-risk patients, providing proof of concept that inhibiting inflammation can improve CV outcomes independent of cholesterol levels.

“For the first time, we definitively showed that lowering inflammation independent of cholesterol levels reduces CV risk,” said principal investigator Professor Paul Ridker of Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, US. “Our findings may represent the endgame of more than 2 decades of research, stemming from the observation that half of heart attacks occur in people who do not have high cholesterol levels.”

“Notably, the secondary endpoint was reduced by 27 percent among patients with above median reduction in hsCRP at 3 months [HR, 0.73; p=0.0001]. In contrast, the CV risk in patients with below median hsCRP reduction at 3 months was comparable to that in the placebo group [HR, 0.95; p=0.47],” he continued. “This finding may help identify patients who may benefit from treatment with canakinumab.”

“Leukopenia and fatal infection were more commonly reported in patients receiving canakinumab vs placebo, suggesting that patients receiving canakinumab should be monitored for early signs of infection,” reported Ridker.

“Our study suggests that statin-treated patients with residual inflammatory risk, as opposed to those with residual cholesterol risk, may be managed differently,” he advised.

Cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder are neurodevelopmental rather than neurodegenerative in nature, a recent study has reported. Furthermore, cognitive impairment in bipolar patients appears to be stable, in the majority at least.